Throughout It All
by TheBoyWithHeadphones
Summary: The legacy of how Gamindustri survives a monster massacre is about to unfold, with an average boy at the center of this mayhem. Armed with only determination and confidence, he will try to withstand against the ultimate threat, with the fate of humanity dangling by a thread.
1. Prologue

**Throughout It All**

 **Koutetsu: *Makes a both fingers into the shape of a gun* Hey, guys, your boy with headphones here, coming to you with my second (Third if you count my failure of a first fanfic from Mega Man) fanfic, Throughout It All! This one covers the story about Souta and his legacy! One thing i have to clear up though is that is a different version than the Souta in Switch Shock. Personalities may be the same, but the two go through different lives, all while keeping the "average" theme.**

 **Souta: Yeah, but the me in Switch Shock was even more average.**

 **Koutetsu: Well, here's something to wrap your head around; S.S. Souta lives in a normal world with nothing too special, while T.I.A Souta lives in a completely different world, but still being kinda average.**

 **Neptune: All the while still having me in the story of both!**

 **Koutetsu: That's right, Neppy. *Pats her head and gives her pudding***

 **Neptune: *Rips the top off with her teeth***

 **Koutetsu: Now, i'm gonna tell you guys a little bit of this new world, but for some i'm gonna let you find out as the story progresses, to add suspense, adventure, whatever it is you'll feel. This story is featuring a couple of series themes, most notably Hyperdimension Neptunia, along with some "hidden" ones, such as God Eater and Golden Sun.**

 **Brendan: And i'm actually featured in this one!**

 **Koutetsu: *Covers his face* Agh! You're not supposed to be here yet!**

 **Souta: *Sweatdrop***

 **Koutetsu: Ok, scratch me telling you, i'll let the narrator do it. This chapter is mainly an intro, with a bit of a "pre-storyline" part, to build drama or whatever. Anyway, you should start reading. *Chases Brendan* GET BACK HERE!**

Gamindustri, a world with four Goddesses ruling over the separated lands. This world is no longer called Gamindustri, for it has lost its name long ago, and is now referred to as "hell on earth". The nations that were once known as strong and independant are now barely hanging on life. The spike in monster population, and their tripled power forced back the nations, to almost half their size, and have kept humanity on its toes ever since. Shimitsu, which was once known as Lastation, has kept itself well maintained. However, security is tight and brutal, letting almost no one in, not even for trades and services. Hengari, which was once called Leanbox, may have gotten its land shortened, but its overall beauty has not changed. Compared to those of other nations, Hengari's troops' weapons are differentiated. They fight with spears instead a gun or sword. Lenbarr, the ice cold nation of former Lowee, has seemingly gotten colder, with larger snow storms and having large pieces of ice seemingly everywhere. This nation has defied all odds and stayed in the game for a very long. Finally, Tengoppa, once having the name Planeptune, has had the most change out of all the nations. Its techno filled streets have stayed somewhat the same, however, many portions are filled with forestry and fertile land, in order to collect resources without the need of trade, in which the journey there and back has cost many soldiers. Tengoppa was the first to act when the world was becoming more desolate, forming an organization known as "G.W.O.N.", Gamindustri Warriors Of the Nation. Infusing the organisms that they were studying, known as "Oracle Cells", into the fighters and their weapons, they were able to heighten the abilities of their warriors. There are many branches of GWON, spread out among Tengoppa, and even in the other nations as well. They are all united to protect former Gamindustri. Some people protested against this idea, believing that the "four elemental guardians" of the nations would band together and save them, but this protest shrunk more and more until it faded all together. Humanity was on its own, with what it seemed like God's gaze upon them, testing them.

' _Man, the streets are real rowdy today…'_ thought a fifteen year old boy as he walked through the streets. Unbeknownst to him, the crowds were rowdy because of him. They would shout out things, but he would usually shrug them off, placing them under "boyband crazy shouts", or "weeaboo noises". He walked into an electronics store, and began to browse. "Hey, Kelvin, you're back! Anything you're looking for in particular?" Kelvin shook his head. "No, i'm just looking around, waiting until some missions pop up at the guild." The clerk nodded. "Let me know if you find anything you want." Kelvin waved his hand absentmindedly. "Will do." With that, the he went to go help some customers, and Kelvin looked among the appliances and other doo-das among the shelf. Minutes of looking passed, and just as Kelvin was about to give up, he spotted something. He grabbed its box off the shelf and walked over to the counter. The clerk looked up and smiled. "Ah, i see you found our special one-time, extra durable deal." He chuckled. "Don't ask, i didn't come up with the name." The clerk took the box and scanned it as Kelvin took out his wallet. "How long do you suppose they last?" The clerk thought for a moment. "If used constantly, i'd say about, maybe ten, twenty years? The company said that they could last a lifetime if taken care of properly…" Kelvin picked up the box and began to leave. "Thanks!" He called out. "No problem." came the reply. He carried the box to a park, and sat down, starting to open the box. Inside was a pair of shiny, beautiful looking purple headphones. Kelvin looked them over a few times, wondering where the cord was. He looked underneath one of the phones, revealing an openable compartment. He slid it open, making the cord and headphone jack fall out. ' _Clever…'_ he thought, picking up the cord. He put it into the jack of his phone, put the headphones on, and put on the song "Minna no Piisu" **(A/N: A batch of cyber cookies and a pack whatever beverage you want to whoever gets this reference)** The music that invaded his eardrums was clear and precise, as if it was being sung right in front of him. Kelvin smiled to himself, and got up to throw away the garbage. He put it all in the recycling, but stopped once he noticed the instructions. He glanced over it, before throwing it away as well. ' _Who needs instructions?'_ he told himself, and began walking along one of the park's sidewalks. Sure, the wait for missions was a drag, but these headphones may make it withstandable…

Kelvin and the GWON agents he was paired up with were covered in ashes, with some having a strand or two if hair with a flame on the end. As they rode back to Tengoppa, Kelvin breathed a sigh of relief. ' _It's lucky we survived that full on blast from that magma dragon…'_ He glanced at his bag of items. ' _It's even more lucky,'_ he thought as he opened it, ' _that these weren't ruined.'_ And there were his headphones, dangling from his hand, already a year old and still looking good as new. The members of GWON noticed what was in his hand and stared at it. "Are those really..?" One of the them began. A raven-haired member stuttered as they tried to say, "Th-th-the l-l-l-legendary…" The fourth member finished both of their sentences. "The Purple Headphones of Kelvin Katsu. So those skills on the battlefield weren't beginner's luck." Kelvin chuckled as he put the headphones around his neck. "Nope, that whole fight wasn't a fluke. Although, i don't know why you had time to observe my skills when you had to hold your own against those magma dragons…" By this time, Kelvin was somewhat aware of his fame, though not anywhere near what he really was credited for. The third member smiled at him. "You're a witty one. They never include that in the articles about you…" Kelvin looked at her weirdly. "Articles?" She nodded frantically, and began speaking rapidly, dropping the whole "tough" attitude. "Every single reporter wants to write an article about you and ask you questions, but no one's actually been able to do that since you separate from society a lot. So people just write about what is heard about you and what others have experienced. I think it'd be really great if you blah blah blah blah…" Kelvin began to tune her out at this point, getting a little bit irritated. "Articles, huh…?" He whispered to himself.

When the group arrived at the base, they were all ordered to check into sick bay, where they would be looked over for injuries. Kelvin protested and said that would take time away from those who actually needed medical assistance, but went unnoticed. Kelvin grumbled to himself as he walked down the hallway. He didn't watch where he was going, and ran into a nurse. The nurse dropped her supply of medical items, and Kelvin bruised his tailbone. "Ow…" He muttered under his breath while the nurse frantically apologized and bowed repeatedly. Kelvin did not reply, and began to pick up the nurse's supplies. She blushed from embarrassment and began to pick up the rest. "I'm so sorry, i didn't watch where i was-" "It was my fault, stop apologizing." The nurse's eyes widened with surprise. "Huh?" came the weak reply. Kelvin grabbed all the supplies and balanced them as he began to walk. "It's fine, stop worrying. Now, where was this supposed to go?" The nurse took a second to collect herself and began following. "Medic room level F, number 22." "That's just a couple of hallways away." Along the way, the nurse tried to make small talk to Kelvin while he replied in short, monotone answers. She explained that she was a new recruit and was hurrying everywhere, even when she didn't need to. "Um…" She started after a long silence. Kelvin looked at her while she tried to get her words out. "Th-thank you for helping me. Everyone around here doesn't treat me very nicely, so…" He smiled at the nurse and patted her head. "You got a name?" She blushed and replied, "D-Dora Hales." "Dora Hales…" He echoed. He handed her the supplies once they got to the door and walked away, holding up his hand for a short wave without needing to look back. "Seeya around."

It had gone perfectly. The date, the talk, the atmosphere, all leading up to that one special question. She said yes. Kelvin burst into his apartment, happy as all hell, putting a spring into his step and punching the air a couple of times. Seven years of hanging out, talking, falling in love, it was all worth it. Fast forward to their marriage, and there was Kelvin, nervous as all heck, being told words of encouragement from one of his best friends, Jaune, who was the priest. His other best friend, Matthew, sat in the front row, his eyes brimming with fire as he grinned at Kelvin. Matthew was Kelvin's best man, and while Kelvin was a little bit worried about how he'd act, in the end, Matthew promised to not cause any ruckus. The church doors opened as Dora walked down the aisle, causing quite a few heads to turn and stare in awe. Kelvin was amazed the most, stunned by his soon to be wife's beauty. He gulped and put on his usual look of determination. ' _I'm gonna do this. I can, and i will.'_ Together, they joined hands and began the marriage ceremony.

A three-year-old Brendan sat at a table, drawing while the most terrifying noise he had ever heard occurred behind him. His mom and dad were fighting again. Brendan tried to block out the noise by occupying himself, but always ended up crying while his parents screamed at each other. "Cheating!? Why would you accuse me of that!?" Kelvin cried. Dora poked his chest over and over. "Because _you_ were the one going and _seeing_ other women!" Kelvin looked upwards and groaned, "She's my mechanic, i'm _supposed_ to be around her!" Dora crossed her arms and turned away. "Not when you and her do **it** together!" Kelvin's face twisted a little bit in anger. "And where exactly is that coming from?" "I have my resources!" Kelvin groaned once again and put his hand to his forehead. "You accuse me of sneaking behind your back and yet you won't tell me how and why there's a rumor about me…?" The argument ended there, however, as both were startled by the sounds of Brendan, who was crying once again, and went to comfort him.

Maria Harrison wiped her forehead as she fixed both of her sons' things. "There you go, Brendan, Souta." Brendan thanked his mother and went to go train with his newly repaired sword. Souta smiled at his mom as he tried to stand up. His legs failed him as he fell back down. Maria scooped him up into her arms and carried him into the living room where Kelvin was. She handed Souta his fixed toy and sat down next to her husband. Kelvin smiled at her. "Hey, honey." Maria smiled back as Souta bounced in her arms. "Hey, sweetie. Can you believe it's already been two years after i since i gave birth to this little guy?" Kelvin ruffled her hair, knocking off her blue jeans colored hat and frizzing her sweat matted hair. "Great, my hair is messed up…" She said as she tried straightening her usually fluffy red hair. "I dunno, frizzed or not, you're still adorable." Maria kissed Kelvin after he said thank. "You're too sweet…" It has been ten years since Kelvin's divorce. Brendan had to cope with not seeing his mother anymore, and soon got over it. No later when that happen did Maria confess to Kelvin, who was reluctant at first, but eventually gave in. Maria soon gave birth to Souta, who was the most mellow, yet easily excited baby you'll ever see. Maria settled her hair once more and put on her cap. "So, Brendan has started training?" Kelvin nodded, preparing to get up. "Yup, and i need to teach him. I told him to practice on his own while i rested from the beatings he gave me." Maria giggled as he started walking to the backyard. "Alright, but don't get hurt, or else this momma's got a lot of boo-boos to kiss." Kelvin chuckled as he exited the house.

' _I remember it all, plain as day…everything went downhill from there…'_ A sixteen year old Souta stared out his room window, wearing the same purple headphones his father owned. To his left was a recently opened box with a note tied to it. It read:

" _Souta,_

 _If you happen to find this box, it means that i am no longer using these headphones, due to they are not my style, or i have died. This is my memento to you, and i hope you get good use out of it._

 _Love,_

 _Dad._

' _His last memento to me…'_

 **Koutetsu: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, we're done here! Souta's canon story has begun, and it's only gonna get heavier. Hopefully, this story will be my crowning fanfic.**

 **Souta: Sure it will. At least my story is finally told.**

 **Koutetsu: I don't have a lot of energy to bicker, since it's almost midnight, so can it. This story will update simultaneously with Switch Shock, so you get double the win, i get double the work! Yay!**

 **Neptune: *Pats Koutetsu's back* You'll get through it…**

 **Koutetsu: Well, with Eighth Grade homework and Algebra...i dunno, we'll see...anyway, thanks for reading my garbage, leave a review if you want, and remember to eat those flapjacks! Koutetsu, OUT!**


	2. Brothers

**Chapter 1: Brothers**

 **Koutetsu: Hey guys, your boi with headphones here, coming at ya with the first official chapter of Throughout It All! I think this fanfic is even more famous than Switch Shock, and that's like four or five chapters in!**

 **Souta: Don't you have a presentation to prepare for?**

 **Koutetsu: So what? It's just an outline and visual…**

 **Souta: Why do i get a bad feeling from that one sentence…**

 **Neptune: *Makes a tsk noise while shaking her head* This is why Goddesses don't have reports to do…**

 **Histoire: If that'll make you work, maybe i should!**

 **Koutetsu: Guys, guys, chill out! We can't have you messing up the studio when we haven't even started! I need it looking nice so we can do more stories, especially with a RWBY one i'm planning for sometime next month!**

 **Souta: Advertisement, eh? Figures, you're cheapness isn't that surprising…**

 **Koutetsu: As Sponsor Man would say, SELL YOUR SOUL!**

 **Souta: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand now we just ignore the author and get on with this…**

 **DOY**

A sigh escaped Souta's lips as he stared out his room window. ' _Everyday is just the same...empty and boring…'_ His lifeless, dull green eyes scaled the city with disinterest, hoping to see at least something that would pull him out of the void he was stuck in. Depression is a horrible thing, especially when it was brought by the watching of his father's death. It never helped that any friend Souta made would die in the devastating battles that raged outside the city's protective walls. Souta sighed and looked at his phone. 'Only two more hours until Bro gets home…'

 **Deadlands of Tengoppa**

Brendan grinned as he slashed another one of his targets. "This is too damn easy!" He yelled to his partner, Isaac. Isaac nodded, keeping a more calm and composed form. "Be sure to control yourself, however, leader." Brendan chuckled as he killed the enemy that tried to sneak up behind him, without looking. "Don't treat me like a child, Isaac! I just can't hold back my emotions during battle!" Isaac rolled his eyes. "I can see that…" He said, performing an axe kick on the head of a small magma dragon. Brendan's eyes filled with glee as he spoke. "And if we find the Alpha Dragon, we'll get those credits that the guild put out for its capture!" Isaac stabbed a monster repeatedly in the mid-section. "Why're the credits so valuable to you, exactly?" Brendan looked at Isaac and put up one of his right hands. He stabbed one of the monsters through the head with his other hand. "Well, gotta provide for the rest of the family, right?" "Speaking of family…" began Isaac. He stood upwards, swung his blade at lightning speeds, diced his enemy, and then looked back at Brendan. "...how's the emo doing?" Brendan sighed. "Not good...i think he got hit the hardest…" Isaac raised an eyebrow. "And you weren't?" Brendan stomped on a magma dragon, putting it into a daze. "It's not that i wasn't affected, it's just that i moved on. It went all downhill from when he was just a toddler, and ended with…" Brendan trailed off, not wanting to finish that painful sentence. "I hear you, pal. Just remember the team's here for you, even if they all bailed on us." Brendan laughed and leaned his head on his hand while being held by the magma dragon. "Yeah, they kinda suck...oh well, at least we got each other, right?" Isaac lept up and cut the magma dragon's hand, and Brendan used that to his advantage, jumping up and using his chainsaw blade to slit its throat. Isaac landed right beside him. "That's right. We're best friends, and nothing can change that. That's what you always said, right?" Brendan smiled at Isaac, and nodded. But before any more words could be exchanged, the two felt a tremendous tremor. Brendan started running towards the direction of the tremor, with Isaac in tow. "Plan I! Lock and Load!" Brendan shouted. Isaac confirmed with a nod, and broke off to the left. Brendan grinned as he changed his blade into a large shotgun, and loaded it. "It might not work without the others, but hey, you only live once." He said, swinging the shotgun around and aiming. Before the dragon could react Isaac swung in, hitting it from different angles. The dragon spun around, swiping at him to knock him down. "Checkmate…" Brendan muttered, pulling the trigger.

 **Tengoppa, Katsu household**

The door of the Katsu's house swung open, with a charred Brendan standing at the doorway. Maria rushed over to her son, worry evident on her face as she checked to make sure he was ok. "Brendan, sweetie, what happened!?" She said, looking at his burns. "Let's just say there was a LOT more dragons than we thought…" He replied, grinning like a fool. Maria crossed her arms, and scolded him. "You know i get worried when you go and do this! You need to be careful, too many men and women lose their lives out there...i don't want you gone too…" However, she failed to conceal her smile. Brendan poked her shoulder. "Aw come on, you know you're proud of me…" Maria kissed his cheek. "Always…"

"Hey, Bro…"

Both of them turned towards the source of the sound, seeing Souta trudging down the stairs with that blank stare of his. Brendan turned towards him and ruffled his little brother's hair. "Hey, little Bro, how ya doing?" Souta stared up at Brendan, raising an eyebrow. "Do you really have to ask?" Brendan sweat dropped, smiling a nervous smile. "I see you're still depressed…" Souta merely sighed as he trudged out the door, with his entire figure screaming "emo". Brendan noticed that his headphones were not on, rather they were gripped tightly in his hand. Maria shook her head. "I worry about that boy...Kelvin's death took a greater toll on him than it should have…" Brendan turned to his mother, and wore a sad look. "You have to keep in mind, he was there when it happened…"

Souta walked along, barely paying attention to his surroundings. ' _Why did it have to happen…'_

 **Three years ago**

Souta, Brendan, and Kelvin sat together in the vehicle that was transporting them to the badlands, singing their father's favorite song along the way. It was notable that all three carried a type of buster sword. Kelvin's was curved and was designed to be more like an oversized katana, while Brendan's was a red and silver blade with a chainsaw chain at the edge, that was able to spin just as well as any other chainsaw. Souta's, on the other hand, was as average as you could imagine, just a sharpened hunk of steel on a stick. Souta was very proud of it, for he made it with his father's help. And today was the day he finally gets to use it.

Souta stopped singing for a moment and looked at his father. "Papa, what does this song mean anyway?" Kelvin looked at his son and ruffled his hair with a grin. "Well, lil' S, it's a song from an anime that is very dear to both my and your mother's heart. That song, as well as the whole anime describes a story about hardships, and that you can't give up, no matter how bad it gets." He patted his son's back. "As long as you believe in the me that believes in you, you'll be ok. Aim for your dreams, Souta." Souta turned his head and stared at particularly nothing. "Ok…" He said, still trying to piece together what his father meant.

"Hex Lizards, dead ahead!" Brendan shouted out. Kelvin stood up and stretched out. "Welp...guess that's our cue, isn't it?" Souta stood up, wearing a confused look on his face. Kelvin noticed this and chuckled. He patted his son's shoulder. "Hey, kiddo, i know questions may pop up, but it doesn't matter. Logic doesn't matter, we're Katsus, and we don't give up. That's why our name means 'victory'." Kelvin then knelt down. "And we named you Souta, because we believe in you and that you'll have a good soul. And if you believe in this, and in yourself, then you will have fulfilled the meaning of your name." Souta stared at his father in disbelief, and then smiled brightly. "Alright…" he said, nodding. Kelvin rose back up and grabbed his weapon. "Good. I have high hopes for you, lil' S." Brendan grabbed his next, followed by Souta, who was the most uneasy of them all. Brendan put his left hand on Souta's head, slowly rubbing it back and forth. He smiled when he felt all of Souta's tension release.

As Kelvin and Brendan took care of the bigger ones, Souta came face to face with a lizard the size of his father, who was 5'9". The lizard's large praying mantis claws were swung at Souta, who jumped side to side, trying his best to avoid and fight at the same time. Souta's steps became misplaced, making lose his focus and get hit by the lizard. Souta skidded across the ground, dropping his weapon and becoming dazed. The lizard advanced with several more joining its side, all the while Brendan and Kelvin were being swarmed by the overwhelming numbers. They were back to back, slashing away at their enemies.

Souta sat up, looking at the horrible sight before him. ' _I...i don't wanna die…'_ he thought to himself, but what more could he do? ' _We're Katsus, we never give up…'_ Is what Kelvin told Souta, but why even try when his back was against the wall? Regardless of any doubts in Souta's mind, he still rose to his feet, a glare showing on his face. He could feel his heart racing, and it wasn't until now that he considered that fact that he was scared. It was real fear, the thing that drives men to do what they might, and sometimes will, regret. His head thumped in rhythm along with his heart, only confirming his feelings. His shaking legs made it almost impossible to stand, and yet he stood, not wanting to give into the despair. Souta's eyes searched frantically for an opening, and while he found none, he did find a steel pipe. ' _I can't reach my blade, but maybe with this…'_

With that little wisp of hope settled into Souta's thoughts, he charged. He dived to the pipe, narrowly dodging a slash by one of the lizards, which would have proved fatal had he not done so. After grabbing the pipe, Souta rolled onto his knees and pushed off, standing upright once more. ' _I got it!'_ Souta thought, feeling great about his success. This was short lived, however, when he realized the threat was still there. Souta swung the pipe over and over, not once resting or stopping. It was a matter of life or death at this point, and his fear of death, fear of the unknown pushed him to fight for life. Souta's energy could not last forever, and soon his arms became heavy and almost immovable. Souta clenched his eyes shut and waited for the inevitable. It never came.

When Souta opened his eyes again, he saw his father and brother killing the lizards with almost no effort, using their special Oracle Skills to take out them out. Brendan grinned at his little brother. "I was hoping this wouldn't require our skills, but i guess there was too many…" Souta stayed quiet, too exhausted and astonished to speak. He slid down the wall, sitting and watching the fight, which was won in a matter of seconds. Kelvin walked over to Souta, grabbed his hand, and lifted him up. Kelvin patted his son's head. "I'm sorry, Souta...we didn't know that the pack was **that** large...i'm glad you could put up with them that long with no weapon…" Souta nodded, still keeping quiet. Just as Kelvin was about to praise the boy for his efforts, a loud roar echoed throughout the area. Kelvin turned towards where the roar came from, wearing a displeased look on his face. A large beast approached them, and with every step Souta became more and more weary. It was indescribable, almost like it was a creature of hell. A black substance coursed through its faint red veins, which made it evident this creature held Oracle Cells within its body. It looked at Kelvin, Souta, and Brendan with murder-lusting eyes, which terrified Souta. Kelvin scoffed and balanced his weapon on his right shoulder, putting his left hand on his hip. "You seem different from the others...almost like you have the intent to kill whatever lives and breathes." Brendan stepped forward. "Dad...let me help." Kelvin closed his eyes and grinned to himself. "Fine by me." He said. The creature before them smiled maniacally, looking as if it was excited to have found a new victim. Kelvin ran towards the creature at blinding speeds, swinging his blade at the spot where its neck was. His blade met with air, however, and Kelvin tried to land while containing his surprise. When he did, he saw the creature farther away, standing there, waiting. "So, you aren't a pushover after all...i'm glad to have met a real challenge!" Kelvin told it, rushing forward again, motioning for Brendan to do the same. The two were blurs to Souta, as they sped in on both the left and right of the monster. Two wings burst out of its back, clashing with Kelvin's and Brendan's own weapons. In a split second it thrust its wings out and knocked them away. They hit the ground hard, shocked that they were deflected so easily. The monster slowly advanced on Souta, making the situation even scarier than it had to be. Just as it prepared to attack Souta and end his life, Kelvin intervened.

With his own body.

The creature's wings pierced right through Kelvin's mid-section, making the nastiest noises. It flicked its wings and tossed Kelvin off. Brendan's face boiled with anger as he ran towards the monster, fighting with all his might. While they duked it out, Souta went and knelt beside his father. His father looked bad, he had a gaping hole in his chest that was bigger than Souta's head. Kelvin looked at his son, life fading from his eyes quickly. Souta looked right back, failing to conceal his tears. Kelvin reached out and patted his son's head for the last time. "I'm proud of you…" He said with a smile, and then went limp. Souta's eyes widened with horror, and he shook his father. "Papa…?" No reply. "Papa…!" He then clenched his fists and screamed to the sky. "PAPA!"

Things were not going well on Brendan's end, with Brendan's energy at its limits. The monster threw him back for the upteenth time, getting bored quickly. Brendan tried to raise both himself and his blade, but fell back down onto his knees. Brendan glared at the giant towering before him. "You already took my father...why not take me out, too?" He said with a small grin. Just as it was about to kill him, the vehicle that they had came in sped over, Souta hanging out the side. He grabbed Brendan's collar and pulled him in. The monster did not bother chasing such worthless victims, they weren't worth the effort anyhow.

 **Present Day**

"Why...why couldn't i have been strong enough?" Souta muttered. He looked up to see a group of friends laughing and smiling. He felt a tear in his already broken heart, wishing that the grief would just go away. He looked back to the ground, his thoughts trailing to the idea of suicide. "Hey, Bro!" His thoughts were cut off, however, by the yell of his older brother. Souta stopped and looked at his brother. His dull eyes met with burning, excited ones. Brendan slapped Souta's back, chuckling a bit. "Is that how you say hi to your big bro?" "Maybe…" Souta quipped back, lacking the emotion to make it a proper quip. Brendan's face made a displeased look, showing he was unhappy with Souta just brushing him off. "I'm getting tired of that attitude. Which is why…" Brendan whipped out a flyer. "...i'm entering you into the tournament the ruler's holding!" Souta jumped in surprise, and frantically tried to ask why. ' _If he's showing emotion, that doesn't mean he's dead inside yet, right?'_ "Wh-why would th-the ruler ho-hold a tournament when th-the world is an apocalyptic st-state!?" Brendan shrugged. "Dunno."

 **Tengoppa Tower**

A purple haired girl was making her way through the tower when she suddenly sneezed. The longer purple haired girl walking alongside her stared worryingly. "Are you ok, sis?" She rubbed her nose. "Y-yeah, i think so…" They both shrugged and resumed walking. "So, um, why are we holding a tournament, anyway?" The longer haired one asked. "Well, since the monster numbers have gone down recently, and the warriors want a test to prove their skills, i thought this might be great! And plus, Histy will think i'm actually doing work for once." "Good point."

 **Back with Souta and Brendan**

"Anyway, we need to get you to the guild!" Brendan said. Souta's eyes widened. "What? Why!?" Brendan smiled and started pushing him along. "Cuz it's today!" Souta inwardly groaned. It wasn't unlike his brother to drop this on him so suddenly. "But how am i gonna-?" Brendan shows Souta's blade that he was carrying. Souta sweatdropped at this. "Oh, of course…"

 **Koutetsu: Hope this chapter was satisfying enough for you, even though most of it was a flashback...but i'm still pretty proud of it!**

 **Souta: *Headslaps Koutetsu* Wait until the negative replies come in.**

 **Neptune: *Looks on Koutetsu's computer* They're already coming in…**

 **Koutetsu: *Rushes over to the computer* WHAT!? But this hasn't even been posted yet!**

 **Brendan: *Shakes head* Such is the life of a failure…**

 **Koutetsu: SHUT UP! *Cries in a corner***

 **Souta: Welp, looks like he's out of it. Anyway, thanks for reading, eat those flapjacks, do whatever the hell you want, i don't care…**

 **Neptune: *Jumps onto the camera so her face is only showing* BYE!**


End file.
